The use of paraprofessionals in university mental health settings; a national survey.

A national survey of 218 counseling centers was conducted to determine the extent and nature of paraprofessional use. Responses from 119 centers indicated that only 38% employ paraprofessionals. Those programs that do exist tended to be at larger, public institutions. Paraprofessionals were generally salaried, and they functioned in multiple roles. The selection procedure most frequently employed was professional staff interviews with an emphasis on "interpersonal characteristics" as the selection criterion. Training and evaluation procedures were usually conducted on an ongoing rather than on a "one-shot" basis. Reasons for not employing paraprofessionals varied considerably from center to center.